GUIDELINES for PRESENTERS
1 PREPARING THE CONTENT
1.1 Draft an audience profile: Who are they? What is their primary interest? How much do they already know? Is it a homogenous group?
1.2 Structure your message: Introduction that arouses interest linked to 3 main points. Summarise in a memorable conclusion.
1.3 Prepare visuals: Hand-outs are always appreciated and allows audience to focus fully on what you are saying. Slides should be integrated with and support your message.
· Keep slides simple and readable.
· Use a legible sans serif font (Arial/Tahoma).
· Give the audience a few seconds to absorb them before continuing.
· Use a pointer to highlight concept being discussed
1.4 Check out the venue beforehand and make sure everything is working and correctly positioned.
1.5 Have a brief typed CV available for the chairperson who introduces you.
2 PRESENTING THE CONTENT
o Use the microphone!
o Slow down. Information needs to be processed especially when listening to a variety of accents.
o Eye contact is critical. Don't read off your notes.
o Talk to your audience – not to the screen.
o Position yourself so that you do not block anyone's view.
o Use pauses (silence) for effect but also as "think time".
o Allow your enthusiasm to show! It also helps to get rid of nervousness.
o Keep to the time limit. This includes the time used for questions.
3 DESIGNING (ELECTRONIC) SLIDE PRESENTATIONS
3.1 Purpose of visuals
· Used to increase audience interest, anticipation and recall.
· Can act as your outline. For a face-to-face presentation, one can usually talk through 12-15 slides per 30 minutes. This is obviously dependent on your topic/context.
o Must be legible and simple
o Clarify, not confuse
3.2 Basic design principles
3.2.1 Colour
· Light text on dark background. Green/blue background best. Avoid “hot” colours.
· Limit visuals to two/three colours per slide. Too many colours confuse/distract.
· White space: sufficient empty space around text/graphics improves readability of text
· Restrict use of red to numbers showing a deficit.
· Never use red & green together (no contrast, vibrate, colour-blindness of viewer)
3.2.2 Design consistency
Allows audience to focus on message being delivered rather than sorting out all the other information.
· Layout: most effective in landscape format. (horizontal, 3x4 ratio)
· Background: changes to colour/design could be used to indicate a change in topic
· Visuals: position of logos/artwork
· Transitions/Movement/animation
3.2.3 Font size and text layout
· Font: Choose a non-serif font e.g. Arial/Roman Tahoma/Comic sans/Helvetica. Minimum of 28 point in a standard font. Best: 36 –48 point Headings can go up to 60 point and may be shadowed and/bold.
· A rough guide for appropriate letter sizing is an increase of 5mm for every 5 meters away from the screen. This means that if your last row is positioned 20 meters away from the screen, your lettering needs to be 15 mm big.
· Use sentence case for titles and text. Limit to two styles.
· Layout: 6x6 rule: no more than six words across and six sentences down. Preferably no more than 25 words on entire slide.
· Align flush left
· Indent sub-points
· Use bulleted key words only; omit all unnecessary detail
· Use one idea per slide
· Check grammar; use UK spelling as norm
3.2.4 Animations/transitions
· Avoid too much/continuous movement
· Make movement slower rather than fast
· Must add value; not just be a gimmick
· Sounds can be irritating; limit use.
3.2.5 Graphic images (diagrams/charts/pictures)
· Although you should try to represent as much data visually as possible, use sparingly.
· Use to reinforce ideas.
· Large enough to read with ease
· Use geometric shapes to direct eye to important aspects of slide
Useful sources
· Cyrs, T.E (1997) Teaching at a Distance with the Merging Technologies – An Instructional Systems Approach. Centre for Educational Development, New Mexico State University, USA.
· Minninger,J and B. Goutler (1991) The Perfect Presentation. New York: Bantam Doubleday Bell Publishing Group . Inc
· Munter, M and Paradi, D. (2007) Guide to PowerPoint. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
· Wallwork, A. (2010) English for Presentations at International Conferences. Italy: Springer
If you wish to know more, do an internet search on designing PowerPoint presentations or consult these websites:
http://www.wiu.edu/users/mgmhb/DistTeach/visuals/electroniccls.htm
http://www.strath.ac.uk/Departments/CAP/slides/intro.html
To make a bad graphic representation Juan C. Dursteler
http://www.infovis.net/E-zine/2002/num_109.htm
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Compiled by Profesor Rinelle Evans (PhD) Faculty of Education University of Pretoria
Updated July 2014